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jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

USA
1484 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/22/2017 : 13:26:18

Greetings all and belated Happy New Year,

Last season we upgraded our GPS to the Garmin Echomap 54DV. It's all and more for our navigation needs. It was packaged with a transom mount transducer (with CHIRP Sonar and CHIRP DownVu).

I a told this type of transducer is incorrect for boats that heel...

While I believe I can sell the transducer on Ebay, we do want to make use of the depth/sonar capability of the GPS unit.

Any suggestions on a transducer that is proper for a sailboat and will (likely) interface easily with the Garmin?

Many thanks to all!
Jerlim

Jerry

Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1511 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2017 : 13:59:49

quote:
I a told this type of transducer is incorrect for boats that heel...

I'm not sure I understand this....... go fishing in the Gulf of Mexico in a 30' center console with a 3' swell and that boat will be heeling, in both directions.....

I don't have experience with the "CHIRP sonar/downvu" transducer, but on my C25 with a Garmin chartplotter, I used the transom mount transducer to "shoot thru the hull" and it worked fine.

My current boat has a Raymarine depth finder with a "in hull" transducer, however, my Garmin chartplotter has an Airmar transducer using the "shoot thru the hull" method.

You could try to test out your transducer, by maybe, taping it down to the hull and see what happens.

Davy J

2005 Gemini 105Mc
PO 1987 C25 #5509 SR/SK
Tampa Bay

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2017 : 16:05:33

I used a fish finder for a depth gauge on our C25. The transducer was mounted the the hull inside the boat, just behind the swing keel winch, using a bout 1/3 of a plumber's wax ring for seating a toilet, carefully shaping the wax into a patty being careful to not cause any air bubbles in the patty. Wax goes against the hull, transducer goes into the wax. It will shoot through a C25 hull.
I made a bracket just inside the companionway to hold the fish finder display. It worked great!

DavidP
1975 C-22 SK #5459 "Shadowfax" Fleet 52
PO of 1984 C-25 SK/TR #4142 "Recess"
Percy Priest Yacht Club, Hamilton Creek Marina, Nashville, TN

glivs
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
836 Posts

Response Posted - 01/23/2017 : 07:18:22

I agree that you should test your transducer mounted with plumber's wax. This method has worked for many of us using the older sonar technology, although I don't recall anyone who has reported this approach using a CHIRP transducer. Certainly worth trying. My transducer has been in place for about 9 years located under the V-berth just aft of the holding tank. Only issue to date is that the warm temperatures this past summer caused the wax to soften enough to allow the transducer to move maybe 1 inch...still held its seal, however.

Gerry Livingston, Malletts Bay, VT
"Great Escape" 1989 C-25 SR/WK #5972

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5377 Posts

Response Posted - 01/24/2017 : 18:05:14

It could be that the transducer is designed to create a highly focused or collimated beam which, when reflected obtusely off a flat bottom would result in missing your transducer receiver entirely, results in 0 signal.
Potentially, the reason for creating a tight beam rather than a broader beam might be to eliminate a multipath situation which would result in a less precise measurement. It's likely an all or none situation.
Passing through the hull however may result in spreading the beam out somewhat.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 01/24/2017 : 19:58:21

I've gotten good results from contacting Garmin Support via their website.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 01/25/2017 : 09:15:39

I positioned mine behind the keel winch to avoid having to snake wiring from the bow back to the circuit board. I found that the beam angled forward enough that I still had enough time to react before it got too shallow for the keel to hit bottom.

DavidP
1975 C-22 SK #5459 "Shadowfax" Fleet 52
PO of 1984 C-25 SK/TR #4142 "Recess"
Percy Priest Yacht Club, Hamilton Creek Marina, Nashville, TN

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 01/25/2017 : 11:37:03

You really only have a few choices. You can try installing the transducer by the wax method but if your boat is on the hard you wont know if it works until you get launched. If it doesn't work then you have to have the boat hauled again (expense) and go with and install a compatible thru hull. Garmin will help you with a compatible thru hull. Try their web site or call them. Sometimes the compatible thru hull transducers can be pricey costing about or more than the chart plotter itself so that decision is up to you. Another option is to use the chartplotter without the transducer and buy a stand alone depth sounder with a thru hull transducer. These can be had for less $$$ than the transducer alone from Garmin sometimes. One advantage to this over having an all in one unit is if one fails or breaks the other is still working. Something to research and think about. Cross your fingers that the wax method works.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5377 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2017 : 13:47:39

You can get a cheapie depth sounder with NMEA output that can link to most chartplotters. You don't have to be an Einstein to hook it up just be sure the NMEA datarates match between both devices.